Soldier: 76
Soldier: 76 '''(birth name Jack Morrison) grew up in rural Indiana. The young Morrison has been described in many different ways. He was a rambunctious youth. A humble, salt-of-the-earth farmer's son. But those asked all agree that Morrison was never destined to live out his days in the land of rolling plains and deep blue skies. At eighteen, Morrison packed his bags and joined the military in response to the Omnic Crisis breaking out across America. He had planned to serve a brief stint in the armed forces and then return home to the family farm, but his work ethic and courage caught the eye of the military brass. Before long, he earned a coveted position in the government's controversial and still-classified (but widely acknowledged) "soldier enhancement program." Military scientists shaped Morrison and other inductees into the perfect soldiers, blessed with superhuman speed, strength, and agility. Morrison and his fellow augmented soldiers would soon put their abilities to use as the United States was devastated by the conflict. As governments tried and failed to neutralize the omnics, the United Nations was busy forming an international task force called Overwatch. This small, experimental group would bring together the best and brightest from around the world to wage asymmetrical warfare against the robots. Overwatch's short list of prospective agents included two members of the soldier enhancement program: Morrison and Gabriel Reyes, a senior officer. Reyes and Morrison became fast friends, despite their different backgrounds, and decided to join Overwatch together. Leadership of Overwatch fell to Reyes, but Morrison would have a greater impact on the group in the long term. He brought out the best in the people around him and helped mold Overwatch's diverse (and sometimes conflicting) agents into a cohesive fighting force. In unity, they found the strength to defeat the robots and end the Omnic Crisis. '''Post-Omnic Crisis The UN rewarded Morrison for his contributions by making him Overwatch's first official commander. Reyes was passed over in the process, and it created a rift between the two men that would lead to tragic consequences. After the Omnic Crisis, Overwatch experienced a meteoric rise in prominence. New funding and resources gave the now-public organization far-reaching global influence. The world celebrated Overwatch's agents as heroes, but none more so than Morrison. He became the face of Overwatch, a symbol of hope and promise, from the cobblestone streets of King's Row to the sweltering night markets of Bangkok. Morrison envisioned a bright new future for humanity. Under his leadership, Overwatch served as a global peacekeeping force and an engine for innovation, making advances in scientific fields as varied as space exploration and medical research. But even as Overwatch grew in power, Morrison stayed dedicated to the people around him. He trained new agents, instilling in them Overwatch's noble goals and ideals. At some point he was stationed at Watchpoint: Gibraltar. It was not to last however. Decades after the Omnic Crisis, Overwatch was shaken by a series of allegations, and its agents became targets of derision for the media. Seven years before the present day, Morrison faced an increasing public relations nightmare. During a briefing in the Overwatch Headquarters on the 27th day of the King's Row Uprising, Morrison learned that Reyes had Blackwatch agent McCree on the ground in London, where the uprising was occurring; despite orders from the prime minister of England expressively forbidding any Overwatch interference. Jack questioned Reyes if he had any other operatives on the ground, only to be sarcastically brushed off by Reyes. In truth, Morrison wanted to end the crisis in London, but felt tied down by bureaucracy and increasing pressures calling for new leadership. It was not until Cadet Lena Oxton, who Morrison took a special interest in provided Morrison a stirring speech declaring her belief in Overwatch and its mission that Morrison decided to authorize an unsanctioned mission to London to end the conflict. He warned the operatives he sent that the uprising could lead to open war. The End of Overwatch Morrison did his best to hold Overwatch together, but he was facing an internal rebellion led by Reyes, whose motives were unknown, but remained bitter that Morrison had been given the position of Overwatch's commander, and the rift that had started there had grown ever since. One year before Overwatch's disbandment, Morrison and Reyes came to blows at Overwatch's Swiss HQ. At some point, their fighting triggered an explosion that destroyed the facility. Posthumous Morrison was supposedly buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Reinhardt Wilhelm, one of Overwatch's original members, spoke highly of him at his funeral. Statues of him continue to be frequented. In truth, however, Morrison's body was never recovered. He considered the blast the fault of his enemies, and reflected how they believed him dead. A truth, but in his mind, part of him did die that day. Resurgence Five years after the end of Overwatch, a series of attacks was made on financial institutions, shadowy corporations, and former Overwatch facilities, all carried out by an unidentified male called "Soldier: 76," in each case where he stole some Overwatch tech. This included Watchpoint: Grand Mesa, where he stole a pulse rifle. Helix Security International personnel attempted to engage him, but 76 escaped apprehension. None of the personnel were killed, though some were treated for non-life threatening injuries. One of them stated (under conditions of anonymity) that the assailant possessed strength and speed beyond anything a normal person should possess, and that he likely had military training. The United States turned its attention to apprehending him, and indeed, Soldier: 76 became the target of an international manhunt. In truth, Soldier: 76 was Jack Morrison. Thanks to his raids, Morrison was now equipped with an arsenal of cutting-edge technology. Here, he used it to wage his personal war to expose the truth behind Overwatch's collapse: to find those responsible, and bring them to justice. New Recruits In Soldier: 76's new efforts to solve this mystery of Overwatch, he began spying on individuals training for military and police force roles, and intercepting them with anonymous job offers. Labeling the positions excessively ambiguous titles such as "Lights Out" and "First Task," he manipulated these youths into trusting the vigilante's chaotic ambitions as a recognizable military organization. Upon one instance he hired one applicant Vince Spalkov with no military experience at all while intoxicated with alcoholic beverages.